Bookholder



Dec. 8, 1953 N. l. STARK 2,661,568

BOOKHOLDE R Filed Aug. 27, 1948 Cttornegs Patented Dec. 8, 1953BOOKHOLDER Nathan I.'Stark, West Orange, N. J.; Dorothy Stark,administratrx of said Nathan I. Stark.v

deceased Application August 27, 1948, Serial No. 46,379

` claims. (c1. is-57') This invention is concerned with improvements inbook-holders with special reference to a clip form of book-holder thatmay serve as a book-end and/or book-rest; the present inventionconstituting an improvement on the invention disclosed in a priorpatent, Number 1,942,456 granted me on January 9, 1934, for Bookholder.

The invention is concerned particularly with improvements in thefeatures of construction of this type of book-holder by means of whichit may be manufactured by simple inexpensive production methods in largequantities and with its novel means for operatively distorting certainengaging portions thereof to facilitate engagement with the cover-boardsof a book 4or other suitable l.

objects.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a one piece formof this type of bookholder that will not require any assembly in itsconstruction.

A still further and important object of the invention is to provide asimple and inexpensive means for operating its engaging portions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a one piece reading-restin a clip form of a bookend so that it may always be handy for immediateuse and easily disposed of after use as a readingrest, as a book-endbetween and at the ends of books on library shelves or as book-ends ondesks and tables.

And still another object of the inventionis the provision of a one piecebook-end that is engageable with a similar book-end to form an easelstand having a projecting shelf for supporting books and reading matterin an inclined position thereon.

These and other objects are successfully secured by means of theconstruction herein disclosed, as will be apparent from the followingdescription.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of one form of this invention in aposition that may serve as a book-end;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the invention showing the engagingportions operatively distorted for engagement;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a pair of the book-ends shown inFigure 1 serving to prop up a book in open position;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing method of distorting engagingportions; and

Figure 5 is a perspective View showing method of engaging one of a pairof the book-ends with the other to form an easel stand.

The particular embodiment shown in the drawing for the purpose ofillustrating the preferred form of this invention, is preferably madefrom a length of at-wiremetal and `formed into a plurality of bends withboth ends thereof remaining free, but other forms of this invention maybe constructed from various shaped rods of suitable material although aHat-sided material is preferred and may be of metal or asuitable plasticand formed by bending, molding or die blanking and forming. f

The device comprises two side-by-side base panels and two side-by-sidesupport panels,

the latter being positionedin a plane transverseto the plane of theformer. In its preferred form, the entire ,device is made vfrom a singlestrip of elastic material, either of .metal or of stiff plastic. Theterm elastic ,is used in its technical sense, as referring tospringiness, i. e., the tendency to recover quickly .after distortion.In Figure 1, it will be seen that .the panels forming the base memberareformed of two loops of this strip, the adjacent or inner legs A and B ofeac-h loop being substantially parallel -to the outer legs C and D,which are spaced from A and B laterally, in the plane of the base. Theseouter legs are connected, acrossone end of the base men1- ber, by `abridge portion G; and each outer` leg, at the opposite end of the basemember, is connected by a bridge portionE or F to the appropriate innerleg, A or B respectively. p

The, inner legs A and B are bent, transversely of the plane of the base,along a line O-N whichis parallel to the bridge portion G. They thusrise from the plane of the base inn side-by-side rela- K tionship,forming the inner legs H, I of the loops which constitute the propmember. They are relversely bent outwardly, as at L and M, andl theirextremities J and K extend towards the plane of the base member but`preferably terminat short of that plane. Y l y 'I'he upright or propmembers H--I are n ormally parallel with each other, but may be movedlaterally to an inclined position therefrom when it is desired todistort the base `for engagement purposes.

In constructing the invention the flat sides of the flat-wire are bentto lie flatwise with the plane in which its various members are formed.

In using the device of the present invention, the loops of the propmember are grasped with one hand, scissor-fashion, as shown in Figure 4,and are spread outwardly from each other by opening the hand. Thisinvolves distortion of the entire structure, part of the twist beingtaken up in the bridge or connecting member G, part 3 in the links E andF, andv part of it in the twisting of the inner and outer legs of therespective loops. Obviously, the central elements H, I of the propmember will no longer be adjacent or substantially parallel, but theinner legs A, B of the base will maintain substantially parallelrelationship during thisoperation.. With. the. outer. loops spreadapart7 as; just: describedy itv becomes" a simple matter to apply thebase member to the upper edge of the binding board of a standardA bookcover. When this is done, as is clearly seen in Figure 3, the outer legsof the base memltierir C, D and also the bridging connection Gwill lieon one side of the cover board'whereas the-,innen adjacent legs A, Bwill lie on the opposite side. The tortional stress imposed bydistortion of the device will cause the cover boarditobefrmlyfheldibetween the outer legs and the inner legs of the, base member.

The ease with which thedevice may be applied tof` book4 cover boards;asv just described; consti:- tutes a substantial" advantage, sincevthere no. necessityl forc rubbing or. sliding? contact; which mightYotherwiseg` scar* or damage the'v surface of the binding. This featureof; pre-opening` the engaging1 members for engagement isfvery useful forengaging many other. suitable objects including the. book-endsu asillustrated-i in the drawing; the similar members beingall' spaced alikegagingmembers. may be made without departing 4 from. the principles of'my invention. I, therefrevdo not wish to be. limited to the precise de'-tails ofconstruction set forth,ybutv desire to avail myself of such.variations andi modications as come withinA the. scope.. offthe.appended' claims.

What is, claimedi is:

1. A- book-holder comprising, am integran piece off: flat-wire.v bentedgewise near. the .middleyinl sub:- stantially one plane toiorIrLamaior; loophaVing substantially.y parallel sides, said; flatfwire..having bothY itsv ends further. bentedgewi'se inwardly in thesame.planete formtwoinwardloopsthat. are integraland.paralleLwithQthe sidesof saidimajor loop;l said ends. being further. bent at.. anang-le out ofthe plane of the major: looplto-:providea pair of side-by-side.suppor.ts each; incorporating a. loop in. the plane. of, saidrr supportsandlying generally naplane transverse. to. the plane` of saidY major.loop.

2. A book-holder comprising an integral piece of nat-wire bent edgewisenear the middle in substantially one plane to form a major loop havingsubstantially parallel sides, said flat-wire having both its endsfurther bent edgewise inwardly in the same plane to form two inwardloops that are integral and parallel with. thesidesof` said major loop;4Said ends being further bent: at. an angle transversely of the plane ofthe major loop and lying generally in a plane transverse to the planeofA said major loop. y

3i A book-holder comprising a piece of nat-wire describinga loop at eachof its ends to form dual prop.. members' constituting a support-side andfurther formng,2..base consisting of two loops at an angle transverse tosaid support-side and a comreeting'memben integral with said loops, allthe, elements of said base normally lying in one plane, but at least theconnecting member being of elastic material and being distortable out ofsaidfplaneA bynrovement offsaid' prop members.

4'; A book' holder'- comprising a supporty side having a pair ofmovablepl'anar elements with their'inneredges normally together; abase-memloer` extending transversely4 to the plane of`saidj elements;having side and1 central' portions nor;- mally lying in the sameplane;distortable connections between said side-and central portions; andconnections between saidY planar elements and; saidI central portionsconstrainingA the said portions to move out of their normalplane uponseparating movement of said'planar elements, to provide an openingIbetweenV said' side portions and said central'portions to-receive-andresiliently securel the cover ofr a1 book'.

5. A book holder comprising a planar' base member' and a supportpositioned' in al plane transverse the planeof the base member, saidbase member comprising t'wo adjacent loops of elastic material, eachhaving, substantially parallelinnerand outerl'egs; joined' at oneend byan elastic link bridgingA theA outer legs and at the other end byapair-ofelastic linksl each connect'- ingl one outer leg'with anv innerleg; the adjacent inner legs' rising transversely' of'thef plane of thebase member to f'ormv adjacent and substantially parallel central"elementsl ofthe support member, said" central elements being reverselybent outwardly, to form a pairA ofl'ateral" wing members; the reverselybent outer extremities being also in the plane of" the support and'terminating adjacent the plane of' the basemembeiu References` Cited inthefle of.T this-.patentA UNITED STATES PATENTS Number. Name Datet D.34,353 Daniels Apr. 9", 1991 4903569' Lehman. Jan; 24', 1893 1,310,281Clark July 15, 1919 1,804,455Y Bodine et. all May 12, 1931 1,942,456Stark Jan. 9, 1934 2,017,413 La Mort Oct. 15,1935

